Friday Night
Lafayette Square
It was hot (100ish) but fortunately no humidity. I got to Lafayette early enough to ride five or six laps before the men's 4/5 race--I wanted to know where the wind would be. I continued my warm up on the neighborhood roads and headed to the staging area with one lap to go in the men's race. The course is a basic four corner sprint, almost a perfect square. There is a slight uphill on the back side and we had a light head wind. I made sure to be on the line at the start. We had 42 women in our field and I didn't know most of them. We got pre-race instructions, 30+5 and 2 primes, and got a whistle. I went up front and this girl with RS on her butt zoomed ahead of me. Everyone was on her quickly and we formed a tight pack. Somewhere in lap 2 Becca tried to launch an attack, but was quickly reeled in. The first prime came about 5 laps into the race. I stayed up front for it, but didn't get out of the saddle for the sprint. Becca took it. The pack reformed and around we went again. There was a lot of poor cornering, especially turn three of the race. More than once I saw the RS girl wobbling and taking a poor line as she went through. She's someone I'll watch out for as the weekend goes on. Our second prime came about 20 minutes into the race. I found myself sitting too far back in the pack to make a go for it, but I used it as an opportunity to move forward again. The lap after the prime, we went to five to go on the lap cards--they cut our race time. I worked to stay up front and have a good spot for the final lap. Our pace slowed. We got the bell and went into the last lap. I was sitting about fourth or fifth wheel. We came around turn three and someone sitting second wheel took off. I lost a few places there, but quickly caught a wheel. We took turn four and the sprint was on. I knew I had no chance at top three, but wanted to get as high of place as possible. I moved up about four or five places with my sprint, ended up 11th.
Saturday
Francis Park
It was another hot one. It was about 97 degrees and humid at race time. I did about five laps on the course and then finished my warm up on the trainer. The course is a rectangle, with a gentle uphill right after the start/finish and a downhill after turn two. Turn three is a bit sketchy because it's off camber and has two manhole covers in what should be the best line. 45 ladies started our race. I was on the front to start. We took off quickly, with ladies working to get position. Lap three was our first prime. I was in the front of the pack, but in no place to contest it. We reformed as a group after the sprint and went around again. A few attacks were launched, but nothing was getting away. I moved around within the group, always trying to set myself up for a good line in the third corner...that only happened a handful of times. The second prime came about 24 minutes in the race. I was in better position, but was probably eighth across the line. Two laps later we started counting down. In two to go, an attack went. We came back together right at the start/finish with one to go. We turn corner one and another attack launch, the squirrelly RS girl took off. The pack let her go. We rounded turn two and she was still out there, pulling away. I decided to see what I could do. I moved to the outside and jumped to go after her. I assume someone decided to follow my lead because I felt something on my back wheel and I started wobbling. Down I went on my left side. The moto ref came up to and called for the medics. I told him to have them meet me at the line because I was finishing. I straightened my bars and realized my chain was off. I got it back on, but still couldn't get my rear wheel to turn. I threw the bike on my shoulder and started walking. I had gone about 50 yards when a friend of mine, Larry rolled up. He asked the ref if I could finish on a different bike. The ref gave the ok, so I took Larry's bike. Larry is about 6'2" so I rode standing. I pulled on the finishing straight and was stopped so the medics could get around me. There was another crash, right at the start/finish. Cindi was done. They took her off on a stretcher.
Somehow, I ended up 32/45, but I didn't get a DNF. My injuries are on top of the scars from the crash earlier this season. The scrapes on my elbow are pretty deep, the doc at the race thinks I bruised the bone. My hip and shoulder have small abrasions and someone I have some scrapes on fingers on my right hand.
Sunday
Giro de Montagna
I was incredibly nervous to line up for the Giro de Montagna on Sunday. While this is the “premier” race of Gateway Cup, it’s also the most dangerous. It’s a four corner rectangle crit. What makes it difficult and dangerous is that the streets are narrow. The finishing straight is downhill and you go into turn one hot. The end is only a block long, so you’re still taking speed into turn two. The backside is a long uphill, nothing difficult to climb, but you know you’re climbing. Positioning in turn three is crucial because it determines how you finish.
The weather was cooler—mid 70s with a slight wind. We had 40 women again. The whistle blew and we were off. I stayed towards the back. By the third time up the backside, I saw the field surge and I consciously let them go. I was still feeling timid and didn’t want to be in the mix. I spent the rest of the race chasing. I tried to organize a group, but only one other girl had the legs to keep the pace that I wanted to keep.
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| Taking a pull up the hill on the backside. *Photo credit: Mike Dawson |
My group of three got lapped with five to go. I stayed on, but with the pack for the remainder of the race. I ended up 34th on the day.
Monday
Benton Park Classic
I was hoping Monday would have been better than Sunday. I really like the Benton Park course. It’s about 1.7 miles long with 10 turns. The weather was even cooler on Monday, but the wind was brutal, 18mph with gusts up to 28. I got a great warm up in when I got there, only to have our race delay by 90 minutes. When the men’s 4/5 started, I went back out to get warm. I got back just in time to head to the line . . . which meant I was three rows back. The race starts on an uphill and there were a lot of girls who had trouble getting in their pedals. Our race was shortened to five laps because of the delay, so it went hot off the line. I got caught behind the Team Type One girl who didn’t get in and was gapped immediately. There were a good number of us fighting to get back on. I came close, but could never catch a wheel. I caught the Bikes of America girl midway through lap one. She and I traded pulls and maintained a race pace, never letting up. We caught the Team Type One girl during lap three. We all worked together until the end. As we rounded the final turn, I was pulling. I felt TTO coming on my left. I went into my drops, upped my cadence and pulled away. I knew they wouldn’t let go that easy. At about 200M, I jumped. The BoA girl went with me. I added gear to try to fend her off. I felt like I was losing bike control right at the line and sat down and she got me by an inch or so. I ended up 32nd.
It was interesting to me that both Saturday and Sunday I would be the one pulling on the uphill. I knew it was probably a tactical move on the part of the girls with whom I was riding, but I also felt like I could ride the hills better and even though catching the group was unlikely, I wasn’t going to stop trying.
I’m pretty disappointed with how the weekend played out. I felt really good on Friday night and Saturday. I know I raced injured on Sunday and Monday, I was just hoping it wouldn’t have had as much of an effect as it did.
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